Unfortunately, that basic human right is trampled on with regularity in the country that provided us with the original castle doctrine - the United Kingdom of (formerly) Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Andy and Tracey Ferrie of Welby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, are finding this out the hard way. They have been arrested for shooting two (out of four) burglars who invaded their home early Sunday with their legally possessed shotgun.
From the British newspaper, The Telegraph:
Mr Ferrie, who owns his own mobile caravan and motorhome servicing business, had confronted four burglars, aged between 23 and 33, who broke into the cottage and fired a legally-owned shotgun at them, injuring two.If there is anything good about this case it is that the Ferrie's Member of Parliament is standing behind them in their efforts to protect themselves from thugs.
He telephoned police immediately whilst one of the injured men called an ambulance. He was taken to hospital, where he along with three other men were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
Mr and Mrs Ferrie were arrested at their home on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
All six remained in custody today for questioning by detectives, whilst the cottage continued to be searched by forensic officers.
Alan Duncan, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton, and Minister of State for International Development, said the householders should not be prosecuted for defending their home.If this had happened in North Carolina or any number of other states that have strong castle doctrine laws, the Ferries would be free, the burglars would be in custody, and the Ferries would be immune from civil suits by the crooks.
"If this is a straightforward case of someone using a shotgun to defend themselves against burglars in the dead of night, then I would hope that the police will prosecute the burglars and not my constituents," he said.
"The householder is the victim here and justice should support them and prosecute the burglars."
H/T Steve T.
Damn....Great Britian sucks.....thank God for the States.
ReplyDeleteeven in britian the law is slowly beginnimg to tip back in favour of the real victim, the property owner, and a hat tip to his member of parliment who is standing up for him.
ReplyDeleteThe situation is much worse than you describe in the U.K.: in the '50s "effective" self-defense was judicially nullified. By effective, I mean using more force than your adversary has available. E.g. if they don't have guns, you can't use yours.
ReplyDeleteAlthough as "gunner" notes, there are some signs of a return to sanity. But the law abiding have been sufficiently disarmed it's a bit late.
Ah, one other note: NuLabour used all of the above as an instrument of anarcho-tyrannical political punishment (a variation on the old pattern of the top and bottom classes conspiring against the middle). Unlike the US, policing is a function of the central government, allowing Tony Blair and company to withdraw much/most? of the police protection in rural and other disfavored areas. Blair was quite up front about his desire to destroy "rural culture" ... and we got another reminder of why we left the Old World.